Today in History

  • Friday, August 20, 2010 10:32pm
  • Life

Today is Saturday, Aug. 21, the 233rd day of 2010. There are 132 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

On Aug. 21, 1959, President Dwight Eisenhower signed an executive order making Hawaii the 50th state.

ON THIS DATE

In 1609, Galileo Galilei demonstrated his new telescope to a group of officials atop the Campanile in Venice.

In 1807, Robert Fulton’s North River Steamboat set off from Albany on its return trip to New York, arriving some 30 hours later.

In 1831, Nat Turner led a violent slave rebellion in Virginia resulting in the deaths of at least 55 white people. (He was later executed.)

In 1858, the first of seven debates between Illinois senatorial contenders Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas took place.

In 1878, the American Bar Association was founded in Saratoga, N.Y.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

In 1911, Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” was stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris. (The painting turned up two years later, in Italy.)

In 1940, exiled Communist revolutionary Leon Trotsky died in a Mexican hospital from wounds inflicted by an assassin the day before.

In 1963, martial law was declared in South Vietnam as police and army troops began a crackdown on Buddhist anti-government protesters.

In 1983, Philippine opposition leader Benigno Aquino, ending a self-imposed exile in the United States, was shot dead moments after stepping off a plane at Manila International Airport.

In 1991, the hard-line coup against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev collapsed in the face of a popular uprising led by Russian federation President Boris Yeltsin.

In 2000, rescue efforts to reach the sunken Russian nuclear submarine Kursk ended with divers announcing none of the 118 sailors had survived.

In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI triumphantly ended his four-day trip to his native Germany, celebrating an open-air Mass for a million people in Cologne. Robert Moog, whose self-named electronic synthesizers revolutionized music in the 1960s, died in Asheville, N.C. at age 71.

Associated Press

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Kim Crane talks about a handful of origami items on display inside her showroom on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Crease is the word: Origami fans flock to online paper store

Kim’s Crane in Snohomish has been supplying paper crafters with paper, books and kits since 1995.

The Musical Mountaineers perform at Everett’s McCollum Park on June 14, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Adopt A Stream Foundation)
Photo courtesy of Adopt A Stream Foundation
The Musical Mountaineers perform at Everett’s McCollum Park on June 14.
Coming events in Snohomish County

Send calendar submissions for print and online to features@heraldnet.com. To ensure your… Continue reading

A woman flips through a book at the Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Pop some tags at Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley

$20 buys an outfit, a unicycle — or a little Macklemore magic. Sales support the food bank.

Audi SQ8 Wows In Motion Or At Rest. Photo provided by Audi America MediaCenter.
2025 Audi SQ8 Is A Luxury, Hot Rod, SUV

500 Horsepower and 4.0-Second, 0-To-60 MPH Speed

Nedra Vranish, left, and Karen Thordarson, right browse colorful glass flowers at Fuse4U during Sorticulture on Friday, June 7, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett’s Sorticulture festival starts Friday

Festivities will include art classes, garden vendors and live music.

The Mukilteo Boulevard Homer on Monday, May 12, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Homer Hedge’: A Simpsons meme takes root in Everett — D’oh!

Homer has been lurking in the bushes on West Mukilteo Boulevard since 2023. Stop by for a selfie.

Ellis Johnson, 16, left, and brother Garrett Johnson, 13, take a breather after trying to find enough water to skim board on without sinking into the sand during opening day of Jetty Island on Friday, July 5, 2019 in Everett, Wash. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Epic ways to spice up your summer

Your ultimate guide to adventure, fun and reader-approved favorites!

Sarah and Cole Rinehardt, owners of In The Shadow Brewing, on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 in Arlington, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In The Shadow Brewing: From backyard brews to downtown cheers

Everything seems to have fallen into place at the new taproom location in downtown Arlington

People walk during low tide at Picnic Point Park on Sunday, March 3, 2024 in Edmonds, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Beach cleanup planned for Picnic Point in Edmonds

Snohomish Marine Resources Committee and Washington State University Beach Watchers host volunteer event at Picnic Point.

Bar manager Faith Britton pours a beer for a customer at the Madison Avenue Pub in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Burgers, brews and blues: Madison Avenue Pub has it all

Enjoy half-price burgers on Tuesday, prime rib specials and live music at the Everett mainstay.

Ian Terry / The Herald

Rose Freeman (center) and Anastasia Allison play atop Sauk Mountain near Concrete on Thursday, Oct. 5. The pair play violin and piano together at sunrise across the Cascades under the name, The Musical Mountaineers.

Photo taken on 10052017
Adopt A Stream Foundation hosts summer concert on June 14

The concert is part of the nonprofit’s effort to raise $1.5 million for a new Sustainable Ecosystem Lab.

Edie Carroll trims plants at Baker's Acres Nursery during Sorticulture on Friday, June 6, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Sorticulture, Everett’s garden festival, is in full swing

The festival will go through Sunday evening and has over 120 local and regional vendors.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.